Travellers will permanently be a topic of curiosity for documentary photographers for the ways in which they refuse to adhere to any social convention. They do not respond to the camera with the same self-consciousness that others may. They are merely themselves, regardless of who else is present.
These photos show a group of Welsh travellers on an afternoon along the river dart at the height of summer. The group was made up of three families, four dogs, a goat, and a horse.
I spotted them when walking home from a swim and approached with my guard down. They responded likewise. We exchanged numbers and I returned the next day.
I do not intend these photos to add to or change any narrative on travellers. All they reflect is that afternoon spent together and the ways in which they passed the time while I watched.
The next day, bailiffs had moved them on. I tried to maintain contact but was quickly ghosted. Though perhaps next summer they will return again.
